Boot and shoe stiffener



Aug. 21; 1928.

H. M. EATON BOQT AND SHOE STIFFENER Filed March 18, '-1924 -fhfwmeM-m A n,

Patented Aug. 21, 1928.

f UNITED STATES 1,681,327 PATENT OFFICE.

HORACE ivi. EATON, or DENNIS, MASSACHUSETTS, AsSIGNoR or oNnHALr To GEORGE 1.. ramene, or LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

`:BOOT .AND SHOE STIFFENER.

VApplication led March 18, 1924. Seria No. 700,012.

vl to be desired.

According to the` present invention the stiifening composition is deposited in and not on the base. Instead of partially filling the interstices of the base they are filled to Vexcess and theexcess scraped off.` The base has `the unique capacity of rapidly tak ing up large quantities of the composition even when the composition contains particles of solid material. The composition is characterized by thorough penetration and theV ability to hold in the interstices until dry instead of flowing out after impregnation and before drying.

The base material may be a felt or a loose iibrous sheet, but preferably a woven fabric is used, such as burlap for heavy stiffeners and thin sheeting for light stiffeners. Anchored to one or both sides of the base are masses of bers such as jute fibers. The fibers are preferably sufficiently stiff not to mat closely together upon normal handling or storage. If a felt or loose fibrous material is employed, the fibers may comprise some of the bers of the material itself, upended by picking `or like operation. If fa ric having few if any loose fibers is used, a mass of loose fibers vmay be anchored to the fabric by punching it through the fabric at recurrent intervals. In either case the mass of fibers should be of such character Y as to absorber present a capillary attraction for the impregnating liquid.

The impregnating agent will be chosen v of such characteristics as the properties and purposes lof the ultimate boot or Shoe `shall require. For both waterproofing and Stifi'- ening of the base material, for example, 4solutions of cellulosic compounds may be employed, and inorder to facilitate the impregnation, a comminuted absorptiVe substance such as powdered asbestos, plaster of Paris, etc. may beincorporated therewith to advantage. The treated sheet may be shaped immediately before drying, or it may `sired thickness and finally drying.

be allowedto dry in sheet form, being Subr sequently softened with a suitable solvent, shaped into the finished article, and the article dried to its permanent condition.

In the accompanying drawings;

F ig. 1 is a cross section of the base before impregnation; i

Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the stiffener material; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of one applica tion of the stilfener in a lasting operation.

The base shown in Fig. l comprises a sheet of fabric consisting of the woven threads 1 and a mass of jute lfibers 2, passing through and between the woven threads l' and stand ing predominantly transversely of the ,surface of the woven sheet.

F ig. 2 shows the hase after treatmentwith the impregnating agent wherein the comminuted absorptive substance 3, represented by stippling, is disseminated throughoutand both the threads l and fibers 2 are embedded in a matrix of cellulosic material 4 represented by crosshatching- The treated sheet is shown reduced in thickness, having a compacted upper surface 5 and a sheet of paper 6, preferably thin absorbent paper such as roughdinished kraft paper, adheringto its lower surface.

. The base material may be impregnated 1n various ways, one suitable method consisting in dipping it into the in'ipregna'ting mixture, then drawing it between Scrapers spaced apart a predeterminecl distance, thereby to scrape ofi the excess mixture, then partially drying and compressing to the de- The paper sheet 6 is" preferably applied while the base is still wet so that itis bound in position by the tackiness ofthe mixture.

If it is desirable to increase the adhesive properties of the treated vbase material, or

`to prolong the periodduring which it shall vremain tacky or gummy, this result may be readily effected by the addition of apolysaccharose, such as dextrine to the impregnating bath, without otherwise. altering its essential characteristics 'and without entailing any change in the procedure to be followed.

This adhesive causes the paper (or other covering) to adhere more tightly to the base and in the event the material is to be stuck to another part it makes the union more permanent. The paper may be sufficiently thin and porous to permit the adhesive to pobox-toe with the' paper covering 6 against pass therethrough to such extent that the material will adhere to another part applied to the paper side thereof while Wet.

Thefollovving are examples of ingredient proportions for particular. uses:

Womens bow-toes. y

iproperties desired in the finished product, Vas indicated above. Such modifications are 1 included inthe present invention and comquickly upon the last, vvhereby less time preheiided in the following claims. l

It is to be noted that by the present invention the fibers provided may be of the saine -or of a different material'from the fabric itself and accordingly they may be selected upon'the basis of their capillarity rvith respect to the impregnating fluid. Since the fibers entend predominantly transversely of the sheet they aibrd longitudinal conduits i from the outside to the innermost portions of the'fabric and promote a most intimate and thorough saturation thereof by the liquid used, inducing uniform penetration and inhibiting the inclusion of air spaces therein. The addition of comminuted material to the impregnating liquid laugments this action and ifestrains the liquid from flowing lout after inipregnation and before dryino'.

In the illustration of Lone application of the stiffener (Fig. 3) 30 is the shoe last,

3l the insole, 32 the Ashoe lining, 33 the the lining, and 34% the upper. The .boxetoe may Vbesliaped before drying but it is ordinarily shaped later by rewetting Vthe blank i'nalcohol. "A characteristic of stiffeners according to this invent-ion consists in that they soften almost instantlyv and dry out is consumed in applying the stiffeners and the shoemay be removed'fromthe last much sooner. The paperv covering 32 restrams the adhesive content of the stifen'er from reaching the last in suiiicient quantity to cause the shoe to stick to the last but permits enough of the adhesive content to pass therethrough to cause the lining to' adhere to the stiifener.

",By regulating the quantity and length of (thebers 2 and the Weight of the fabric 1 v [the thicknessl'of the resulting stiffeiier may "est be varied Widely. By virtue of Vthe loose and open character of the fibers the thickness may be further regulated by rai-ying the spacing of the Scrapers between which the sheet passes. The thickness and stili'- ness may also be altered by varying the proportions of cellullosic material and absorptive substance.

Vilhen using comminuted asbestos as the filling material the resulting product is somewhat smoother and tougher due presumably to the fibrous character of the asbestos.

The binding of the paper to the hase may Vin lsome cases be supplemented to advantage by gumming the paper before it is applied, or by other wise applying an adhcsi Vo in addition to that contained in the impregnated base. ln any event the binding should be so complete and continuous that the paper will not separate around the edges of the stiflener even when the edges are slrived as in the case of box-toes.

l claim:

l. A stiiifener for boots and shoes coinprising a fabric sheet having a `mass of libers anchored thereto, said mass being impregnated lwith celluloid `containing comminuted 'plaster of Paris and compacted against the sheet.

2. A stiilener for boots and shoes comprising a sheet of fibrous material having libers attached thereto with their opposite ends projecting from the sheet, the sheet and the fibers on both sides thereof being impregnated With a stiliening composition.

3. A stiflener for boots and shoes comprising a sheet of fibrous material haring fibers attached thereto with their opposite ends projectingfrom the sheet, the iibers on both sides thereof being impregnated with a stiilening composition, and compacted against the sheet.

1l. A stiffener for boots and slices comprising a sheet of fibrous material having iibeis attached thereto with their ends disposed at opposite sides of the sheet, the libers being impregnated with cellulosic material containing comininuted absorptive particles and a saccharose and their ends compacted against the sheet.

5. A` stiifener for boots and slices comprising a sheet of fibrous material having fibers attached thereto with their ends disposed at opposite sides of the sheet, the

libere being impregnated with Celluloid con taining' comminuted asbestos and their ends compacted against the sheet.

6. A stiifener for boots and shoes comprising a sheet of fibrous material having libers attached thereto with their 4ends dis? posed at opposite sides of the sheet, the libersbeing impregnated with celluloid containing comminuted asbestos and dextrine and their ends compacted against the sheet.

7. A stiifener for boots and shoes comprisllO lll)

ing a sheet of fibrous material having fibers attached thereto With their ends disposed at opposite sides of the sheet, the fibers being impregnated With Celluloid containing comdextrine and their ends compacted against the sheet.

9. A stifener for boots and shoes comprising a sheet having a mass of fibers anchored thereto, a thin membrane in Contact there- With and a matrix, containing a cellulosic material and a nely comminuted substance, impregnating said fibers and adhering to said membrane.

10. A stiener for boots and shoes comprising a sheet having a mass of fibers anchored thereto, a thin membrane in con-l tact therewith, a matrix containing a cellulosic material, a finely comminuted substance and a saccharose, impregnating said fibers and adhering to said membrane.

11. A stillener for boots and shoes comprising a sheet of fabric having a mass of fibers anchored thereto, a matrix containing a cellulosic material and a finely comminuted substance impregnating said fibers, and a thin membrane in contact with said fibers upon one face of the sheet, said membrane being partially permeable by the cellulosic material when it is treated with a suitable solvent.

Signed by me at Boston, Massachusetts, this 5th day of March, 1924.

HORACE M. EATON. 

